Do You Love Me Now?
by rejectdemon
Summary: Ah, school reunions, and no one does them better than Degrassi. Paige is determined to let go of the past at her 10 year reunion, but when Alex shows up a successful rockstar, both find themselves falling into old habits... R&R, PAlex, NOT a oneshot :D
1. The Letter

**Welcome to my first ever Palex chapter story. For those of you out there who are angrily scratching their heads thinking "well wtf, she has like 3 other stories that she hasn't even updated in months, she has no business starting another!" I apologize. I fully intend on finishing my other stories (slowly but surely, whenever I get my mojo back for that particular fandom), but at this moment in time, the wonderful world of Degrassi has me bound to write nothing but it.**

Paige flicked through the the pages of the book on her lap. Familiar faces from what seemed like a life time ago stared up at her from their paper confines. Every so often she would smile fondly, remembering the good ole' days of high school. There were few of her former classmates that the blond still kept in contact with; meaning that this old yearbook from her senior year was all she really had left of her Degrassi chums.

She had, however, just gotten off the phone with one of her closest and oldest friends, and the only one she still saw on a very regular basis-- Marco Delrossi. Less than a year ago, her brother Dylan had proposed to Marco. The wedding had been beautiful, and Paige had been the maid-of-honour. The newly weds had just returned from their honeymoon to Spain last week.

Now, he had called her sounding extremely excited, and Paige could almost see her best friend (and, now, her brother-in-law) jumping about his apartment, full of energy, like an adorable little puppy.

"Paige, have you gotten yours yet?" Marco had asked. Paige was confused.

"Gotten what, hun?" She'd just arrived home in her cozy one bedroom apartment from work.

For almost 6 years now, ever since her return to Toronto, Paige was and editor and consultant for a small, local fashion magazine. Well, at least it _had_ been local. The company expanded almost 150% in subscription and overall popularity. _Shine_ magazine was now becoming widespread, and although she would never say it outloud for fear of being thought conceited, Paige doubted it was a coincidence that it happened since her employment. Even the editor-in-chief, Simon, considered her a great asset to the team (or as he called it, the family), and always liked her fresh ideas. Ensembles that she had picked out, page layouts that she had created, were more often picked than not.

The job was perfect for Paige. It combined the two things that she cherished most; fashion, and being in control of things. It was such a better job than the one she'd had working for--what was her name? Anna? Andria? That damn fashion house that had overall caused Paige more harm than good. Back then, she was always exhausted from running around doing pointless errands, and mentally worn thin by all the ungrateful crap she got from everyone--from her employers, the models, her coworkers, even her friends. And although she was still grateful for the opportunities the fashonista job had given her, Paige had to admit she was relieved when her internship ended and she wasn't taken on for a permanent position.

And then there was the shamble in California...Paige refused to ever speak about the time in America where she had turned right back into the selfish bitch she had been in high school. Because of that, she had almost cost herself her best friend. Luckily, Marco had long since forgiven her, and it was understood among their circle of friends that it was forbidden to speak of that episode of her life, or the Emmy-nominated film Mewesical High, or anything else in regards to the travesty. Sure, it was in the past, but she was still sensitive about her nation wide embarrassment that had been the hot celebrity gossip for several weeks all across entire North America.

"Gotten your mail!" Marco said excitedly. "Go check, go check!"

Paige sighed in frustration, mostly at herself since she had realized that she'd forgotten to pick up the mail when she was downstairs. Marco refused to tell her what was so damn exciting as she returned to the bottom floor, emptied her mailbox, then made her way back to the fourth via elevator.

"Ok, I got the mail, now--hey, what's this?" Paige was impassively flipping through the envelopes. Bill, spam, spam, wrong address, bill. Then a heading on one unimpressive white envelope caught her eye.

"Degrassi Community School," Paige muttered. "What could they be sending me, I don't-- wait. God, it's been ten years already, hasn't it?"

She quickly opened the letter. Just as she suspected. Inside was an invitation to the class of 2006 ten year high school reunion.

"It's so exciting!" Marco practically squealed. "I havn't seen most of our class in years. I can't wait to see who's fabulous, who's a trainwreck, who married who, and who's done a complete 180."

Paige smiled at her friends' enthusiasm, and her own that was growing. She too was eager to see how her old classmates had turned out, how her old friends were. Jeez, it had been--7? 8?-- years since she had spoken to her one time BFF Hazel. Not since she traded frigid Toronto for sunny SoCal. Thinking back, she wondered if that was part of the reason Hazel had distanced herself from Paige. But that was old news, the kind that she didn't worry herself with these days.

That afternoon, Paige spent several hours flipping through old photo albums and yearbooks, reminiscing. The growing nostalgia it created was only making her anticipate the reunion more. June 18th. Three weeks from now. The event would be two days long; an initial reunion and banquet the first afternoon, commencing at 3:00, and a casual dinner party the next evening.

Paige was so caught up in old memories that she nearly jumped right off the sofa in surprise when the door opened.

"Hey babe. Jeez, you look like I caught you doing something red handed. What's up?" The man stepped inside and shut the door, shrugging off his coat. He had short dark hair, green eyes and a gorgeous rugby players build. Walking up to Paige, he gave her a small kiss before taking a seat next to her on the couch.

"Look, Tomas, at what came in the mail today." Paige handed him the letter, which he carefully read.

Paige had met Tomas about six months ago, at a cocktail bar downtown. She had gone out for drinks with some of the girls from work. All evening, she kept stealing glances at the attractive man who was keeping to himself near the bar. Finally, he walked over and introduced himself, insisting he buy Paige a drink. She accepted, and after spending what had to be hours chatting with him, gave Tomas her number. He called her the next day, explaining that he knew it seemed desperate, but he just HAD to take the blond out on a date.

"High school reunion, huh? Sounds like fun." He mused. "Are you going?"

She smacked him playfully with the yearbook in her hands. "Duh, silly, of course I'm going." Tomas smiled and slipped the book from her hands and began skimming through the pages.

"Is that Spinner guy in here?" Tomas asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Paige nodded. The only reason he knew about her high school boyfriend was because they had actually run into Spinner on the street only a few weeks ago. He was married now, Spinner told her, to a girl named Jane had graduated only a few years behind her at Degrassi. They had a little girl together, and Paige awwwed at the photo of the adorable toddler in pig tails. She introduced him to Tomas, and vice versa. Spinner gave her his phone number, and encouraged Paige to give him a call sometime so they could have lunch. When she and Tomas returned to her apartment later that night, Paige further explained the relationship she had once shared with Spinner. He had been less than thrilled for her to make plans for what could be considered by some to be a date (regardless of the mans' marital status), so Paige had put it off.

She turned to the page that displayed Spinners' school photo. What should have been his senior picture was that of a juniors'. "I don't think he'll be there, hun, since he didn't graduate until the year after me and Marco. Him, and my friend Jimmy." Flipping ahead, she pointed to the image of the young man in a wheelchair, stationed before the mural he had designed and painted.

"I can't say I'm sad Spinner won't be there," Tomas spoke, putting an arm around her. "I'd hate to kick his ass for trying to win back his sexy high school flame." He smirked at her.

"Oh the testosterone." Paige said, rolling her eyes. "And what makes you think I'm even bringing you along?"

"Well, if you had someone else in mind..." Tomas pouted, reminding Paige of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. She giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Oh, of course I'm taking you." She affirmed.

He hugged her tighter. "Good. Now, is there any other exes I'll have to be on the watch for?"

Paige hesitated. Yes, yes there was. Another ex, that is. Not anyone he needed to watch out for though.

"Well, I really didn't date much back then," She began. "Spin and I were together for about two years or so, not counting the times we hooked up after graduation." Tomas raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue. Paige picked up another yearbook that had been lying on the coffee table in front of her. This one was from her junior year.

"In eleventh grade, however, I, uh, did have a little romance involving my Media Immersion student teacher." She showed him the picture of Mr. Oleander, in the faculty section. The yearbook order had been placed already before Mr. O was 'let go'. "But of course, the school board found out and he was fired. We lasted for a while, but he took this job that made him leave-- I don't remember what it was-- and when he came back, he was totally different. And not in a good way." Paige made a face, remembering how uncaring Matt had been upon their reunion, and the little parting gift he'd given her. Which led her to the next subject...

Paige sighed. "And then there was Alex." She grabbed the first yearbook again, but left it unopened on her lap. "You've seen that movie, Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh?, right? Well, it was filmed at Degrassi. I actually had a small part but it got cut. Anyway, Alex and I went to the premiere together, as friends, but ended up kissing later that night. We lasted a few months, but split right before graduation because we were headed in completely different directions in life. The breakup was really hard, especially since I wasn't the one who did it. I remember hooking up with Spinner right after, which in hindsight makes me look really skanky since it was the night right after Alex and I split." She opened the volume, and searched for the right page.

"Remember how I told you about my Banting flameout? Well, when I came home after that, Alex and I began getting close again. Things got really complicated for a while, but we ended up dating again. We actually lived together for a time. But once again, we proved to be too different to make it last." Paige looked at Tomas. "But despite everything we put each other through, I have to say that Alex was my first real love. I mean, I loved Spinner too, but not in the deep way I loved her."

"Wait, wait, did you say _her?_" Tomas asked, eyes growing wide. Paige only gave a tiny smile and pointed to the photo she'd been looking for.

"Alex Nunez. Until we started working together at the mall cinema, we absolutely _hated_ each other. She was the slacker, the badass, the freak. And I was the popular cheerleader with perfect friends and perfect grades. But somehow, after getting to know her, we just clicked, you know?" Paige tried to explain.

Tomas opened and closed his mouth twice, then spoke. "Well that takes me by surprise. Why didn't you tell me you were bisexual?"

Paige felt her self blush self-consciously, the way she did every time she heard the word 'bisexual'. And she couldn't exactly read Tomas' expression either, which made her uneasy. Was he disgusted? Or maybe he was really one of those pervey guys that could only relate 'bi' with 'threesome'. Or maybe he was just truly surprised and curious.

"I'm not," she told him, looking down at the book again. In the picture, Alex was hardly smiling, just a near invisible upward twitch of the corners of her mouth. She was wearing her trademark hoop earrings. Paige chewed her lip. She hadn't looked at Alexs' photograph in a long time. "Alex is the only girl I've ever been in a relationship with. I mean, I've tried dating other girls, but none attracted me like Alex. I don't think any female ever will." Paige looked at Tomas, her face dead serious. She wanted to knock any blooming frat boy fantasies right out of his head before they could even take shape.

He raised his hands defensively. "Hey, that's cool, you know I don't judge. I just had no idea, that's all. I'm just glad to know now a little bit more about you." Tomas kissed the top of her head. Paige smiled at how sweet and understanding her boyfriend was. She gave him a proper kiss.

Pulling away, she said, "I doubt Alex will even show anyway. Besides opting to take another semester for better grades after we graduated, she was never the school loving type. She hated most of the kids in our class, so why would she reemerge from whatever hidden place she's disappeared to just to see them?" Paige was pondering this more to herself than to Tomas; Would Alex go to the reunion? Sure, she despised almost everyone, but wouldn't she be at least the teensiest bit curious about her former classmates as well?

"Hmm, maybe she'd want to see a certain blond?" Tomas guessed.

"Hardly. Our last encounter wasn't exactly on good terms," Paige said, thinking of the day when she had kicked Alex out. But then she remembered that those words weren't really true.

It had been almost four years ago...

_"Thank you," Paige said, trading a five dollar bill for a steaming latte, insisting that the boy behind the counter keep the change. She gripped the cardboard slip and turned, right into the customer behind her. The two crashed into each other, the beverage flying from Paige's hand and right onto the woman's shirt._

_"Fuck!"_

_"Shit, I am soooo soory!" Paige exclaimed. The woman had jumped back, clutching at the wet hot mess of fabric that was now her black zipped-half-way sweatshirt. The steaming brew no doubt seeped through to her skin, and she was obviously uncomfortable. Feeling horrible, Paige chewed her lip nervously and looked up at the woman's face. Paige's eyes widened, and she felt her heart give a jolt of surprise. Holy shit..._

_"A-alex?"_

_The dark haired woman had removed her sunglasses, and now there was no mistaking her. _

_It had been about five years since the last time she'd appeared in Paige's life. Her last glimpse of the girl she'd once loved had been her slowly walking out Paiges' door. Out of her life forever. Paige had been relieved at the time; being with Alex had been too hard, and caused them each more pain than happiness. They each deserved better. Paige liked to tell herself that she did Alex a favor by causing herself to be removed from the equation that was Alexs' life. It wasn't until months later, after hours of heavy reflection, that the blond realized she could have handled things between them far better. For all Paige knew, Alex had been on her way to the streets, not a relatives' house. Her pride wouldn't have let her admit to Paige how much she had, in fact, been relying on her__. God, how Paige hated Alexs' fucking pride, which could only be matched by hers. She very well could have been off to the woman's shelter, the one where she'd spent a good part of her childhood in, the one Paige had once promised she'd never let Alex return to.__  
_

_She removed the sweatshirt and looked at her. "Paige?" Something flashed in her eyes; confusion, recognition, and bewilderment, all in that order._

_"Yeah...wow...um, how are you?" Paige managed to spill out. Her brain still hadn't been able to fully grasp who was standing before her. The situation was so unlikely. She had long ago convinced herself and come to terms with the fact that she would never see Alex again. They'd both moved on with their lives, even though it had hurt at first. Out of sight, out of mind, had proven itself true. And although she couldn't speak for Alex as of yet, Paige knew that both of them were far better off._

_"Uh, I'm good, despite being scorched by processed coffee been product." She replied and Paige couldn't help but smirk. Ah, that Nunez wit. But it quickly turned into a frown, as she resumed feeling horrible for assaulting Alex with her drink._

_"Jeez, yeah, I'm really sorry about that." Grabbing a handful of napkins from the counter behind her, Paige handed them to Alex and moved to the side so as to cease blocking the business area. She began mopping up the spilled latte at Alex's feet, careful not to touch her._

_"It's fine," Alex said dismissively, blotting the spot on her front. She was wearing a black tanktop underneath her sweatshirt. Paige noticed that she'd traded wifebeaters for cami's. With it Alex also wore a pair of simple blue skinny jeans, and a pair of high tops._

_After a moment, the two women stared at each other. It had been a long time, and their parting hadn't been on the best of terms. Alex threw the soiled napkins in the trash bin several feet away._

_"Score," she muttered as the bundle swooped in. Paige giggled nervously._

_"God, Alex, it's been forever." Despite herself, Paige wrapped her arms around her old friend in a brisk hug. Alex returned it with one arm, and the two quickly stepped back from each other. The dark haired woman crossed her arms, dirty sweatshirt folded over them._

_"Do you wanna sit? Talk maybe?" Paige couldn't help asking._

_Alex ran a hand through her hair thoughtfully. The blond couldn't read her expressionless face. She wouldn't blame her if Alex decided to tell her to fuck off and storm from the cafe. But instead Alex gave her the once over and shrugged._

_"Sure why not. I'm in no rush. I just gotta get my coffee first though. Maybe you should buy another too, since I'm wearing yours." Alex smirked._

_Paige frowned, only now just fully realizing that she had lost her latte. "Sadly I had only grabbed enough cash just for the one before I left for my coffee run."_

_"Ah." Alex remarked. The last person had just left so she was able to go straight back to the counter. While she waited, Paige grabbed a table near the front. She felt anxious and jittery. Alex didn't _seem_ to hate her, but that didn't really mean much. The dark haired woman had always been the queen of masking her true emotions, for as long as Paige had known her. But Paige had never expected to even see Alex again, and now here she was. Paige wasn't prepared, wasn't ready, to actually talk to her ex about what had happened between them. _Maybe she isn't either,_ Paige thought. She hoped that the two would be able to avoid the topic, focusing perhaps just on how their lives had been thus far since their separation. Because no matter what, despite what had happened, Paige had always considered Alex a friend more than anything. She even still considered her this. Sort of._

_Regardless, when Alex sat down across from her, things were exceedingly awkward. The two sat in silence for several minutes. Alex rotated her mug of what was sure to be black coffee nervously. Paige took a deep breath, eager to end the suffocating quiet._

_"So what have you been up to for the last, uh, five years?" She asked tentatively. Paige braced herself for the response. Even though Alex looked great, that didn't mean she wasn't still having troubles._

_"Hmm, it really has been five years, hasn't it?" Alex mused, looking down at the table before meeting Paige's eyes. She took a sip of her coffee. "Well, about 2 and a half years ago I started working at my buddys' record store. I'm actually the manager now, and Geoff keeps threatening to make me co-owner, as if I had the cash." By the way her eyebrows suddenly furrowed, Alex seemed to regret that last statement. Paige doubted Alex had wanted to start off their ''reunion'' by letting her in on her financial status._

_"Alex and music. Some things never change." Paige smiled, remembering all the CD's that had once cluttered Alexs' tiny bedroom all those years ago. While people had continuously let her down, music had been something Alex could always rely on. It never abandoned her, or hurt her like so many have._

_Alex chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose your right. I'm even in a band now."_

_"Really? What do you do?" Paige asked, surprised. When she had known her, Alex hadn't played any instruments, and if she could sing, Paige had never been aware of it._

_"I'm the bass player, and I've been working on my vocals." She said._

_Paige raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Alex had once spoken about learning to play the bass, but Paige had thought it was more to irk her and get her to shut up about Alexs' future. Paige hadn't thought she was serious. Underestimating Alex seemed to be the only predictable thing Paige could do in regards to the dark haired woman.  
_

_"Yeah, _really_," Alex replied, obviously sensing Paiges' disbelief. "It's not very difficult. I've been playing for several years now. Jay got me a used one as a 'cheer up' gift a few months after we broke up, actually. Apparently, if I was going to be some sad emo kid, I had to put the energy towards something relatively productive." She spoke lightly, with a small grin on her face. Paige chewed her lip._

_"Um, yeah, Alex, about that," Paige started hesitantly, trying to collect her thoughts. "The break up, I mean. I...well, I feel awful about what I did. Kicking you out, and all that. Just because we were over didn't mean I had to throw you out like a, a, piece of garbage or something. It was a good thing we broke up, but I shouldn't have been such a bitch about it. I mean, I should have-_

_"Paige." Alex interjected. "Don't worry about it." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair again, her signature nervous gesture. "It's in the past. I understand why you did what you did. It was for the best. We were killing each other slowly, I know that now. And yeah, you stomped on my heart like a baby mouse and I was a complete mess for a while, but I got over it. I got over you. Like Jay told me when I moved in with him, I had a life before Paige Michalchuk, and I'll sure as hell have one after. And he was right, I do."_

_Paige felt relieved by her words. She wouldn't have blamed Alex if she hated her and wished her dead, but she was glad that that wasn't the truth. Paige knew she had no right to still be in Alexs' good graces, and knew she didn't deserve it, but she was glad all the same._

_"So you live with Jay?" Paige inquired, eager to move on from the current topic. The elephant in the room had been addressed at least, which was all she really wanted. She'd said what she'd felt she had ought to have said, and that was all Paige was up for at the moment._

_Alex took another sip of coffee. ''Did. I, uh, never had a cousin in Ajax. But Jay felt he was partially to blame and blah de blah, so he let me crash with him for a few months. After I got my current job, I was able to get my own place. It's nice, being independent."_

_So Paige'd been right. Alex HADN"T gone to Ajax. "You've always been independent," Paige told her, smirking. "As if anyone has been able to tell you what to do."  
_

_"True, but that was more me being, er, pigheaded and proud, rather than me being free. But it's all good now. I don't have my mom or anyone controlling me anymore." Alex leaned back in her chair, looking out the window near her. Her always vigilant eyes surveyed the downtown city life._

_"God, how is your mom, by the way? For the longest time I've wondered how she's been doing," Paige asked earnestly. It was the truth; since Alex left, she'd had no word on Emily's condition. She hoped Miss Nunez wasn't still with that scumbag Chad, the one who, thanks to his cons, lies and thievery, had forced Alex into a life of stripping._

_Alex shrugged. "Better, I guess. I havn't talked to her in a few weeks."_

_"She's not still with Chad, is she?"_

_Alex scoffed bitterly. "Damn, I'd almost forgotten about him. No, he dipped a few months after my mom bailed him out. She wanted me to move back then, but I was already relatively settled with Jay. More settled than I would have been if I'd gone back to that apartment, anyway." The woman glanced back at Paige. ''For the last year or so she's been going to AA meetings off and on. It's been helping, I think, but I'd rather not get my hopes up."_

_Paige resisted the urge to give her once-friend a comforting pat on the arm. "Oh Alex. Well, I hope she keeps up the good work. I'd like to visit her sometime and find the clean, fabulous Emily Nunez that's been hiding in her all along."_

_Chuckling, Alex shook her head disbelievingly. She doubted that her mother could ever become Paige's definition of 'fabulous', and that the blond would ever step foot over her mother's thresh hold again. Paige didn't really believe her own words either._

_''So, how was L.A.? I couldn't believe it when you were all over the tabloids for a while. Actually, I _could_ believe it, but it was still surprising," Alex mused. Paige's face grew scarlet and she looked down at the chipping manicure that she needed to get redone._

_"Ah, yes, good times, good times," she said, her voice thick with obvious sarcasm. "I'd honestly rather not talk about it. California itself was great, but if you saw the tabloids, you know how that turned out." Paige wrinkled her nose. "But like you said, the past is the past. I moved back to Toronto for, er, _another_, fresh start. And things have been great. I have this amazing job at a fashion magazine. I'm still pretty low on the hierarchy, but I have confidence that I'll rise in rank soon enough."_

_Alex smirked. "Cool. That's the spirit, use your Michalchuck stubbornness and determination."_

_"Exactly." Paige smiled back._

_"Are you still in touch with Marco or Ellie or anyone from the old days?" Inquired Alex._

_"Marco, yes, of course." Paige answered. "It's kind of hard not to. Ever since Dylan was traded to the Maple Leafs, he and Marco have been inseparable. We get together for drinks and hang out all the time still."_

_"Dylan and Marco are back together AGAIN?" Alex tutted. "Those two are either going to rip each other's hearts to shreds, ruining both of their chances at future happy relationships, or they'll be together forever."_

_"Well I'm hoping for the latter, because having to deal with two perpetually depressed gay men in my life will not be a parade. I have a good feeling about them this time. It's, what, the third time they've dated? And you know what they say about that."_

_"Third time's the charm," Both said together. Chuckling, Alex looked down at her watch._

_"Shit, my break's almost done. We're getting a bunch of new releases today and I have to get back to fill out some paperwork I've put off." Alex got to her feet, and Paige followed suit._

_"Well, here," Paige opened her purse and shuffled some things around. She took out a pen and a scrap of paper and scribbled something. "Take my email. It was really nice seeing you again, Lex, I mean it. We should get together for lunch or coffee some time." Paige handed Alex the paper, and she slowly took it, sliding it in her back pocket._

_"Yeah, sure, definitely," Alex answered, nodding. "My email's still the same. Message me when you're free, or whatever."_

_Both women knew neither had any intention of doing such things. This one meeting, while gratifying and positive, had been too awkward for them, and they were in no rush for a repeat. They'd caught up a little bit, just enough so that each knew that the other was doing well for herself. Just enough to give them comfort that their choices HAD been good ones, especially for Paige, who had spent the last few years secretly worrying about Alex's fate._

_The two women parted. Paige gave her another hug, promising to contact her soon. Alex waved goodbye over her shoulder as she walked out of the small coffee joint and down the street. The blond watched her, wondering for a moment where the record store she worked at was located, but knowing she'd never stop by._

_That night, she called Marco and told him all about the encounter. He was glad Paige finally had the closure she'd been seeking. It was as if a weight had been lifted off her heart and conscience. For the first time in a long time, whenever the fleeting thought of Alex crossed her mind, it wasn't tinged with guilt and tendrils of remorse..._

But Paige didn't tell Tomas this. Not of her semi-reunion with Alex all those years ago. She didn't know why. She figured it hardly mattered, and entirely irrelevant. Why would Tomas care? Like he would actually deem Alex competition, even if he knew that the two wern't on horrible terms and due to see each other again in the first time in ages.

At the thought of seeing Alex again made Paige's heart speed up. Only a few times since their chance meeting had she actually regretted not messaging her old friend and ex. Paige had forgotton how much fun hanging out and just being around Alex could be. The woman had this vibe, this aura of coolness that just drew you in and made you want to be friends. It's probably what attracted Paige to her in the first place. Not that she was interested in being attracted to her again, but Paige did sometimes miss all the fun times they'd had together, the ones even before they had been an "item".

Paige looked at the photo one last time. She sighed and closed the year book. ''I'll be shocked if she does come to the reunion, hun. But anyway, the past is the past." Paige seemed to live by those words a lot, she noticed. She gave her boyfriend another peck on the cheek before getting to her feet, taking up the armfuls of memorabilia. The reunion was three weeks away, but in her head, she was already picking out the perfect outfit. Paige had no intention of showing up in anything that reflected less than the success she'd created for herself. She smiled, excitement mounting in her chest. Three weeks were going to fly by.


	2. Old Faces

**Thanks so much for the love Ch. 1 got! I'll try to keep steadily updating as soon as I get the chapters finished, but seeing as I don't want to give you all utter crap, there might be gaps between updates. But the more you review, the happier I feel and more I want to write ^_^**

**Disclaimer: Hmm, I don't think I did this with capitulo uno, but I must all remind you that while I own three Dresden Dolls CD's, I do not in fact own Degrassi or it's characters.  
**

* * *

Paige smoothed the dark blue fabric of her dress over her lap. Tomas sat in the drivers seat of her silver Kia Sorento, eyes on the road. He could sense Paige's nervousness though, and took her left hand with his right.

"Relax, babe. It's just a high school reunion. You said it yourself, your life is great and you have nothing to be ashamed of. Your class mates are going to be nothing but jealous." He smiled crookedly, squeezing her hand reassuringly. Paige smiled back.

"You're right, hun. It's just hard not to be at least a teensy bit nervous. I mean, I havn't seen most of these people in ten years. And I'm sure more than one will bring up the Hollywood Escapade." She sighed. "But, I also have a delicious piece of arm candy to make sure I don't have a total meltdown and/or panic attack."

"You know it." They were at a stoplight and Tomas leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips.

They were several blocks away from Degrassi when both noticed the how crowded with traffic the streets were. Abnormally crowded. After almost twenty minutes of maneuvering, Tomas drove them close enough so that in the first time in years, Paige could see the front steps of Degrassi Community School, her old amla mater. Well, she would have seen it, that is, if it wasn't covered with people and blocked by vehicles. Paige noticed several news vans, and there was a line of reporters with their camera men hovering around the crowd. They were too far away for her to make out any one, and she couldn't see any familiar faces yet.

"Jeez, I wouldn't have thought that a high school reunion would be such a media circus," Tomas mused, mirroring Paige's own thoughts. It took another ten minutes for the two to finally find a parking spot, almost 2 blocks away from the designated school parking lot. Paige gripped her clutch apprehensively as she and Tomas walked up to the school. Looking up at the large, metal letters that read 'Degrassi Community School', she couldn't help but smile fondly. Until, that is, a thin woman with what could only be described as a blond Ferrah-do, came at her with a microphone. Paige lurched back as the instrument came dangerously close to knocking her in the teeth.

"Um _excuse_ me," Paige said rather annoyed. She tried to push past the woman but a man with a giant camera stood in her path, blocking her way up the steps. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone with bright red hair enter the building, and Paige couldn't help but wonder if it had been Ellie. The two had visited only a few months ago at the DelRossi/Michalchuck wedding, but Paige was still giddy about the prospect of seeing the girl who, despite their differences, had managed to become one of her best friends.

"Ma'am, did you go to school with Miss Nunez?" The reporter asked, waving her mic like a magic wand. Paige gaped at her; did she, a woman old enough to be her mother, just call her _ma'am_? Then realized what she'd just been asked.

"What? Are you talking about _Alex_?" Duh, of course she is, Paige reprimanded herself. There were no other Nunez's that she knew of associated with Degrassi. But what Paige was more concerned with was why the hell this _news reporter_ wanted to know about her. Had Alex gotten in trouble? Had she been a part of some national security bank heist that Paige missed on the news?

"How well did you know Alex?" She inquired next. Paige could feel the crowd swelling, the sea of people growing thicker and louder around her. They were all outdoors, yet Paige couldn't taste a single breath of fresh air. Another reporter, a man, materialized in front of her. The woman gave him a dirty look but continued on. They both began bombarding Paige with questions.

"Were you friends?"

"Did she show any signs of what she would become today?"

''How well did she do academically?"

Paige was confused; why were they asking all these weird questions about Alex? Of all people? She opened her mouth but couldn't respond. Tomas was no longer latched to her arm. Everyone was acting so frenzied, it alarmed her. Paige started to feel a familiar clenching rise up in her chest...

"There she is!" Someone exclaimed. All eyes and cameras were removed from Paige and directed to the street. A black SUV had slowly pulled up to the curb. It came dangerously close to the back bumper of one of the news van, causing the larger vehicle to move up and make room for the new comer to park. The silhouettes if two people were visible. Paige squinted, trying to see who the driver and passenger was through the tinted glass.

Both front doors opened at the same time, and Paige first saw who had been sitting in the passengers seat. A petite woman with wavy brown hair wearing a green and white sundress hopped lightly to the curb. She clutched a large beige purse under her arm, and Paige recognized the white pair of Louis Vuitton sandals she wore from last years catalog. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of all the, well they could only be described as paparazzi, but she didn't look overtly surprised. Paige wondered who this woman was. She didn't recognize her, and she certainly hadn't gone to Degrassi with her class.

Then the driver came around the car, visible to everyone. The media clowns got even more excited, their voices rising and cameras flashing. Paige let her mouth drop open, not caring how foolish she must look.

Alex Nunez took the woman by the arm and started walking, no, _sauntering,_ straight through the crowd. These paps must have been well trained, for they parted in front of the two, careful not to actually touch either of them.

The 28 year old Alex looked as good as Paige had ever seen her, if not better. While everyone Paige had spotted, herself definitely included, had opted for more semi-formal wear, Alex was dressed rather casually in jeans, a t-shirt and a damn black hooded sweatshirt, the kind she used to wear back in high school. Paige wondered if her old flame realized this and it was intentional, or if her fashion sense had just reverted. The year after they graduated, Alex had begun dressing slightly more feminine, making her less badass and more sexy. But even if this was the case and Alex was back to sweatshirts and wife beaters, Paige didn't dare try to deny how hot she made the outfit that should be deemed not suitable for wear outside the home. She was almost stunned, quite honestly.

Alexs' eyes swept the crowd behind the dark-lensed sunglasses she wore as she escorted the woman right past the cameras and directly into the school. Paige realized this must be Alex's date. _Interesting_, Paige thought. The woman was pretty, she concluded, if short, slim and frizzy haired was your type. Which apparently was Alex's, and thinking back, Paige recalled her dating someone who looked a bit similar. Carol? Kara?

"Babe, who was that?"

Paige turned around, jumping slightly as someone placed a hand on her hip. Tomas looked down at her curiously.

"Oh, um," Paige stuttered. "That, er, that was Alex. The darker haired one. I still have no idea what all this is about though." She motioned to the paparazzi, who now all faced the closed doors. Paige couldn't help but smile when she saw who was barring the press from entering the school; Miss Hatzilakos. Her face was far more lined (overseeing a high school was no doubt aging) and her hair starting to gray, but Paige would recognize the principal anywhere. She'd been her science teacher for years, and in charge for nearly half of her junior year and entire senior year. The years that had mattered most to Paige in high school.

"Come on," Paige ordered, taking Tomas by the hand and shoving past the remaining crowd that blocked the entrance. She grinned widely at Miss H, who smiled back and shoved the door forward to let the two inside.

"Paige Michalchuk. It's good to see you," She expressed fondly. "And this is?" Paige could tell Miss H was trying to tell if Tomas had once been a student of hers.

"This is Tomas Russo, my boyfriend," introduced Paige. As Tomas shook her old principal's hand, her eyes scanned the hallway behind Miss H. Most of those who were there yet seemed to have congregated in the gym, the reunions' official meeting place. Paige thought she saw Alex and her date turning the corner, heading in that direction.

"Paige!" Someone screeched from down the opposite hallway. Paige turned.

Hazel Aden darted towards her, enveloping her in an enormous hug. Paige had trouble returning it, with one of her arms pinned against her old best friend's pregnant stomach.

"Hazel! Oh my God, how are you?" Paige questioned. The two parted. Hazel's hair was longer than it was the last time Paige had seen her, trailing to about her waist. She wore a exquisite black dress that still managed to make her look fantastic despite the baby bump.

"I'm great," she beamed. Hazel brandished her left hand in front of Paige, who spied a thin gold band around her ring finger. "Married. Greg should be around here somewhere, with Mason, our son. He's six, almost. And he's going to have a little sister soon, if you can't tell."

"That's great." Paige gushed earnestly. A couple of years back, the blond thought she'd heard something of Hazel's engagement, but the two had already fallen away from each other and it hadn't stuck in her mind.

"And what about you, Paige? Wait, come on, let's sit somewhere first. Have you checked in yet?" Paige shook her head, and Hazel began leading her in the direction of where she remembered to be the gymnasium. A few people were lingering in the halls, chatting amongst themselves. Paige recognized a girl who used to be in her Media Immersion class but whom she had rarely ever held a conversation with. They smiled and waved to each other regardless.

Tomas following close behind, Hazel walked Paige over to a small table that had a man sitting around it, talking animatedly to a couple neither women could recognize distinctly. He had a long list of what must be names, and a thin stack of "hello, my name is" stickers. When the people in front of them moved, Paige saw who the man was and broke out in a smile.

"Mr. Simpson! It's so great to see you!" She darted behind the table between them to give her old favorite teacher a hug.

"Paige Michalchuk," He said, slightly taken aback, but returning her embrace nonetheless. Paige couldn't see many visible differences in Snake, except that his thin hair was even thinner than before, and the wrinkles around his eyes and forehead were more pronounced. "How are you?"

Still smiling, Paige took a step back. "I'm great, sir. You should be pleased to know that I use much of what you taught us in Media Immersion on a daily basis."

He chuckled. "That's great. What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, not at all. I'm a fashion magazine editor. It's pretty much my dream job," Paige gushed. Turning slightly, she eyed Tomas standing sheepishly next to her. She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. "And this is my dream honey. Tomas, this is Mr. Simpson. Mr. Simpson, Tomas. Oh, and I don't think I ever introduced him to you, Hazel. So, uh, yeah, this is Tomas, if you havn't just gathered that." Tomas greeted both of them, trying not to look embarrassed by the sudden spotlight his girlfriend was putting on him.

Hazel then took Paige's arm. "Sorry Mr. S, but I have to steal Paige back. Us girls have to catch up. Do you mind entertaining Tomas here for a little while?" She smiled, giving Mr. Simpson the same expression that she had used in high school to get what she wanted.

"Uh, no problem at all," Snake said, nodding, looking from Tomas to Paige to Hazel with an expression of semi-bewilderment that matched the younger man's.

"You don't mind, do you hun?" Paige asked her boyfriend. He shrugged aloofly.

"Not at all. Go catch up with your friend." He and Mr Simpson shared a look that let the older man register that the two young women had fallen apart after graduation. It was more than common, of course, but most staff and students alike had pegged that the Michalchuk/Aden duo would remain solid. As long as their lipstick shall live and as long as their bag matched their blouse. But this was obviously not the case.

Paige and Hazel walked arm in arm away from the loud chaos that emanated from the gymnasium. The blond was eager to enter the place where she had spent many a morning and afternoon with the Spirit Squad, but she knew she must follow her old BFF. Paige's curiosity about Alex would have to wait.

Hazel began by filling Paige in about about her family and her well-paying job as a lawyer. She had moved to Vancouver for university, and it was in law school that she met Greg, a fellow lawyer. They'd gotten engaged after being together for two years, but didn't even begin making wedding plans until each had their diplomas. Each had made a vow to themselves prior to meeting the other that they would focus on school before dating and relationships. That didn't stop them from falling in love, Hazel explained, and instead of a graduation party she ended up having a baby shower.

As Hazel spoke, Paige's attention drifted a bit. Her focus was drawn to the halls they walked together, like in the old days. The lockers had been repainted; bright blue and gold, every other. Normal high school reminders and flyers from the previous year were taped along the walls, ones that seemed so trivial to the current students no doubt, but fascinated Paige. She wondered what Laugh Club was, or who was now captain of the Spirit Squad. She wished she could return during semester, just as a fly on the wall to observe what had become of her old throne. To see who was now queen bee, who was now by all means Paige. Who was the old Jimmy, the star athlete? Or Ellie, the weird loner? Or Alex, the burn out badass?

Everything was silent, and Paige realized Hazel had just asked her a question. She was looking at the blond expectantly, and eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry, Haz, I missed that last bit," Paige conceded. Hazel rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"I said, what about you? I havn't talked with Tomas at all really but you two seem happy together. Am I right?" _Of course her first question would be about my relationship status_, Paige thought blithely. Some things never ceased to be top priority with Hazel.

"You are. Tomas and I have been together for a few months now, and I swear he's as close to perfect as a guy can get. He might even be the one." As Paige spoke, her mind told her that these words were quite possibly true. But her gut nudged her uncomfortably, and Paige also got the hunch that she might be just trying to not let Hazel one-up her in that department. She brushed the latter thoughts away.

"Aw, I'm so happy for you," Hazel gushed. "If or when you two tie the knot, I hope I'm invited to the wedding. I feel terrible for not trying harder to get a hold of you for mine. But I'd lost touch with nearly everyone from Degrassi, even Marco and Ashley. And I think you were out of the country at the time too..."

Paige cringed visibly, and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Ugh, _please_ don't bring that up. Word to the wise, those 15 minutes of fame are _so_ not worth the months of agony that often follow. And that is all I plan on saying during this reunion about that dreadful stint in my life." Hazel nodded, her eyes full of understanding.

"Say no more. Now, moving on." The two had paused in the hallway, near a window looking out over the soccer field. On the opposite edge, the vans of the news crews could still be seen, although there appeared to be fewer of them.

''God, will you just look at all that craziness outside? I can't even believe it." Paige wondered aloud.

"Me neither. And to think, it's all for Alex," Hazel said, shaking her head.

"And that's what I don't get, why I'm so confused!" Paige through her hands in the air. "Why is Alex being treated like some celebrity?"

Hazel looked at her skeptically. "Uh, because she _is_ some celebrity, Paige. Jeez, where have you been?"

"Obviously on another planet because I have no idea what you're talking about. I havn't even so much as heard Alex's name come up in conversation in years. Can you please tell me what I've been missing?"

Hazel continued to stare at Paige, not sure if her old friend was serious or not. After a moment, she opened her purse and pulled out a silver 16 GB I-pod. She turned it on an began flicking through it.

"It found out about them by accident. Greg put a bunch of music on my MP3 player a long time ago and her band is one he really likes. After giving them a listen I became a fan too." Hazel held an earbud out to Paige, who took it and raised it to her ear. "I googled them, and almost stroked out when I saw who the lead singer is."

Paige listened to the song floating out of the tiny ear piece. Smooth guitar riffs melted with the steady beat the drums were producing. Then the vocals joined in. Her eyes widened.

"Are you saying this is Alex's voice?" Paige asked disbelievingly. Hazel smirked and nodded. "Oh my god...she's amazing."

The female vocalist had husky, gentle voice that matched the instrumental perfectly. It was a soft rock song. Not a ballad, but nothing thrashing. The music was full of energy, yet relaxed at the same time. I still couldn't believe this was Alex!

"That's what I said too. Greg flipped when I told him Alex and I went to school together. I think that's why he was such a team player about being dragged here today."

"So is," Paige looked down at the screen for the band's official name. "Scarlett Haze well known?"

Hazel rolled her eyes. "There's _paparazzi _at the lead singers' silly high school reunion. Yes, Paige, they're well known."

Paige glared at her. "I'm sorry, I've been too busy apparently creating a successful career to keep up with popular media."

"Well, the band's not really popular in the sense that they make pop music and are all over the radio. Actually, a lot of their stuff is way heavier than this and I can barely stand it. So I can't really blame you for not having heard of them. If it hadn't been for Greg, I'd be in the same position as you." Hazel said lightheartedly. "But yeah, for the last year or so, Scarlett Haze has been huge. Here and down in the States. The story is that John Moyer heard them in a club here in Toronto a few years ago while Disturbed was on tour." Hazel wrinkled her nose. "I was turned off a little bit when I heard a band like _Disturbed_ scouted them. But they are kind of metal, I guess, so that's no surprise. Which is why I only like that song and a few others. It's a cover, I think, by some 90's band. The Bleeders or something."

Paige nodded along, but found herself too caught up in the music. The song was a cover. Originally by The Breeders. She recognized it because it was on the CD Dylan would regularly blare during his angry phase. Although, as Paige recalled, The Breeders were as angry as his music got. Yeah, he'd never really been one for pent up angst.

"Anyway, now that you've officially been brought up to speed with information that the rest of the English speaking world has known for ages, lets move on from Alex. Do tell me more about your magazine job. What publication is it?"

Paige slowly returned the I-pod to it's rightful owner and forced her mind back to Hazel and her bombardment of questions. She answered them all as patiently as she could, but as they started walking again, her legs itched to take the familiar path that led to the gymnasium.

She wasn't in doubt of her success. Paige had an amazing job that paid well, one where she was happy and just a few years away from being close to a head hauncho. And while she might not be married with children at 28 like Hazel was, Paige wasn't tied down either. Two of life's pivotal points (finding love and having kids) had already occurred for her. Paige didn't want to be cruel and say her old friend's life had already reached it's climax, but that's kind of how she truly felt. She didn't have that baggage, and was glad for it. And upon leaving her apartment that day, Paige had thought for sure she would be the best off of her class.

Obviously, she now realized, she'd been wrong.

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**Hehe so whatdya think? Does rocker Alex intrigue you? Please click that tiny box down below...no, not that one. The other one. The one that says 'review'. Yes. There you go. Feedback ALWAYS appreciated :)**


	3. The Wink

**Chapter 3! Yay! I love everyone who reviews, so please keep it up :D**

**I own one Jake Skellington hoodie and the entire Planet of the Apes saga on DVD. I regretfully inform you however that I don't own Degrassi.  
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**After Hazel and Paige finished their conversation, they headed back to the gymnasium. She said she had to go find her missing husband and child, but she'd definitely come find Paige again later. The blond smiled and nodded, rather grateful that she now could check out the rest of the reunion. Visit with more than one person.

Paige went back to the table that Mr. Simpson still sat behind. A girl who had been on the Spirit Squad called her name and the two briefly hugged and promised to chat later. She went through the double doors with her date and Paige caught a quick glimpse of the gym. It was then that she noticed her boyfriend was nowhere to be seen.

Walking up to Mr. S, Paige opened her mouth to question her old teacher about Tomas's whereabouts.

"He's inside," Snake said before she could ask. "Marco and Dylan checked in about ten minutes ago and dragged him with them." He smiled. "I'm so _glad_ those two are still together. It warms my heart that ten years later, some can still remain in the love that blossomed when they were only kids."

Paige returned his grin. "Well, you and your wife are a testimony to that, too, right?" She stopped herself, feeling striken. "Uh, you and Spike _are_ still-"

"Definitely," Mr. Simpson chuckled. "Spike and I sit in our rockers by the fire, telling tales the horrific 80's where hair was big and you had to walk to school uphill both ways. But you know, everyone around here thought it would be you and Gavin who'd stay together forever."

Paige rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "High school was long enough for us to be together, let alone eternity."

Mr. S. nodded. "Understandable. Well, I'm sure your current beau is waiting for you so I won't keep you any longer. Better hurry before someone tells him a horrific tale of your youth."

Giving him a final smile, Paige moved past Mr. S. and for the first time since her graduation, into the Degrassi gymnasium.

The large room was a alive with the buzz of people. Blue and gold streamers hung from the high ceiling, and a banner of the same colors read in bold letters "Welcome Class of '06!'. Immediately, Paige sought out Marco and Dylan, her eyes catching Tomas' figure. She smiled when she spotted a certain red head chatting with the trio near the raised bleachers.

As Paige waded through the crowd, she was bombarded with hugs and smiles of recognition. She did her best to deflect their attention, and continued over to her brother, boyfriend, and two oldest friends.

"Ellie!" Paige exclaimed, giving the redhead a giant bear hug from behind. Ellie was caught off guard, but try as she might, couldn't break free of the embrace.

"Aw, come on, it hasn't been that long," she grumbled lightheartedly as Paige let go. The two women smiled and faced each other, the blond taking her hand.

"Regardless, hun. God, isn't so weird being back here?" Paige looked back at Marco. He and Dylan both looked dashing in this years most stylish Ralph Laurin suits, Marco in black, her brother opting for a subtle charcoal grey. The Italian smiled.

"Yeah, it really is. It brings back so many memories." Marco grinned at the three of them.

"Remember making out in the boiler room all those times?" Dylan said, smirking. His once shoulder-length blond hair that always got him grief from the eldest Michalchuk male was now cropped short. He nudged his husband lovingly.

"Of course I do," Marco replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "And if there's a spare moment anytime this weekend, I propose we visit our old hideaway, for nostalgia's sake."

"Nostalgia's sake, or your sake?" The two grown men practically giggled.

Paige and Ellie rolled their eyes simultaneously and looked at each other. Ellie was wearing a beautiful form fitting dress and black pumps that made her look amazing. She had matured so much since high school Paige thought she looked out of place back in Degrassi. She was no longer the lonely, troubled girl with a complicated home life that struggled to achieve even the tiniest reward. She wasn't the Goth Girl. She was Ellie Nash, successful, poised, elegant head writer for the Toronto Star. She'd come so far, further than Paige, the blond had to admit.

Tomas shuffled awkwardly, looking absently around, a cup of red punch in his hand. Paige stepped over to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey hun, sorry I took so long." She said apologetically. He shrugged and smiled.

"No worries. Dylan and Marco rescued me from following your teacher aimlessly like a lost puppy. It's really good to see Ellie again, too." The two had previously met at the Michalchuk/DelRossi wedding.

Marco leaned over to her. "Have you seen Alex yet?" He asked in an excited tone. "I'd had no idea she was all..._famous_ now. For something besides a form of illegal activity. I nearly stroked out. We were only able to chat for a few seconds, but she's obviously doing well with herself. Her girlfriend, Aryn, is pretty nice too. Our little Alex seems to have finally gotten everything together."

To Paige, the notion of Alex having everything together once seemed unfathomable. Her last real memories of her were that of the homeless ex-stripper lounging on the sofa. Damn, how things had changed for the raven haired woman.

As he spoke, Paige was glancing around. Still, there was no sign of Alex. She was starting to get frustrated, her eagerness to speak to her long-lost friend growing. Paige thought she recognized Amy, Alex's old friend, but couldn't tell for sure. She couldn't even remember if the shady girl had even graduated with their class. Had she been expelled? But Paige's eyes widened as she caught sight of the woman that had been accompanying Alex. What did Marco say her name was? Erin? She was chatting with the Amy look alike, smiling and talking animatedly with her hands.

Alex wasn't anywhere to be seen though. She seemed to have abandoned her date, and Paige had to stop herself from rolling her eyes since she herself had just left Tomas all by his lonesome for the better part of an hour.

Now Paige ended up spending the _next_ hour and a half milling throughout the gymnasium, telling the same story of how she's been over and over again. She constantly had to introduce Tomas to people, most of whom she honestly didn't remember ever being friends with in high school but faked it anyway. She met Hazel's husband, and their adorable son, Mason.

And who had she been kidding, thinking no one would ask about the ancient history that was her Cali experience. Nearly _everyone_ asked. Each time Paige got irked more and more, giving them the curt, chopped up version that she hardly had the energy to explain.

_Okay, I've had enough of this_, she thought begrudgingly. She'd just had to play nice with Heather_ freaking_ Sinclair, her once most sworn enemy. The woman had strode up to Paige and embraced her like they had been the best of friends. She found it disgusting, how fake everyone was acting. It was like actual high school all over again. And except for a possible fleeting glance out of the corner of her eye, Alex continued to elude her.

"I'm going to go the bathroom," Paige spoke loudly in her boyfriend's ear. He was having an in depth rugby conversation with a man who used to be the hooker for their high school team. Tomas nodded, barely glancing at her.

"'Kay, babe."

Rolling her eyes at their boy talk, Paige walked away from them, and exited through the gymnasium side door. Instead of headed towards the restrooms, however, she dipped hurriedly down the hallway, clutching her bag. She tried to remember where it was...

After a few minutes of searching, the blond found the familiar door that led out the back of the school. It was used by janitors and for deliveries, primarily. And the occasional student looking to cut class without risking going through the front or one of the main side exits. It led out to the back ally, and Paige was eager for the fresh air. That, and the hidden pack of cigarettes stashed within her purse. It was a disgusting habit, she knew, but after picking it up a few years ago when starting the magazine, she found the cancer sticks worked wonders for her nerves.

Shoving the door open, Paige hopped outside, squinting in the afternoon sun. To her left, she heard someone startle, but she had to wait for her eyes to adjust to see their identity.

"Paige?"

She blinked. Leaning lazily against the dirty brick wall was none other than Ms. Rock N' Roll herself. Alex held a half smoked cigarette in her right hand, both arms crossed loosely over her chest. Her sun glasses were pushed up on top of her head, and she was looking curiously at Paige.

"Alex?" Paige halted as the door swung shut behind her with a loud _thump_. Looking around, she saw Alex was alone in the laneway. No paparazzi, former classmates or date.

"Uh, yeah," The dark haired woman chuckled. "It's me. God, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Before Paige knew what was happening, Alex had pushed herself off the wall and closed the distance between them with a hug. It was strange, Paige thought. She'd always been the hugger, not Alex. Regardless, she hugged her old friend back tightly. There didn't appear to be any of that awkwardness that had lingered between them the last time they'd met. Paige smiled. Enough time had finally passed. The scars had healed, and now they were able to be genuinely happy to see each other. The aura of their old friendship, the one that had been so amazing before romantic and sexual tension had gotten in the way, seemed to be drifting back. With that one reassuring hug.

They broke apart and Alex took a step back. She had a large smile on her face. "How you've been, Paigey?"

Paige laughed, not completely sure what was so funny. "Me? Excuse me, Miss Nunez, I think you have more explaining to do than me."

Alex smirked, putting her cigarette to her lips. "There's not much to explain," She said as she exhaled. "Me and the guys had been playing together for about 5 years and we'd gotten a pretty good local following on the underground hard rock scene. Then one day, we were playing a venue and this guy just comes up to us and says he likes our sound. It was John fucking Moyer. How insane is that?"

"I'm so happy for you Alex," Paige told her as she opened her purse and fished out her half empty pack of Marb Lights. Alex arched an eyebrow.

"Paige Michalchuk, are you actually _smoking?_" The dark haired woman wondered incredulously.

"Uh, no, I'm not. Does this thing look lit at all?" Paige replied, enjoying the opportunity to be snarky. She then whipped out a lighter and the tiny flame quickly lit the end. _"Now_, I'm smoking." She couldn't resist to stick her tongue out at her old friend.

Alex laughed, and Paige noticed a small glitter reflect within her mouth. _Tongue piercing, huh? Why am I not surprised_.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when you would light up without being coerced into it," She mused.

"Well, things have changed, havn't they?" Paige replied.

Alex snorted. "Some things, yeah. But I like to think I'm the same old me. I'm still vastly immature and irresponsible, like in the old days."

"Oh, I'm sure," Paige chuckled. "I have no doubt in that, you troublemaker." Taking a drag from her cigarette, the blond moved over to a nearby set of tiny steps and sat down. Memories flashed through her mind of her times here in the laneway. Most of them included Alex. The ones that stood out to her, anyway.

"So, last time we saw each other, didn't you say you worked for some fashion thing?" Alex asked, leaning back against the wall like she had before, one knee bent. Now she was several feet away from where Paige sat, looking down at her. ''Are you still doing that?"

"Yes, I'm still _doing that_," Paige said. "I've done really well there, actually. It's called Shine, although I doubt you'll have heard of it."

Alex smiled sheepishly. "Ten years and you still know me way too well," she rolled her eyes. "Aryn will probably know it though. Jeez, she's almost as bad as you were with all the fashion crap. But she's more of a wannabe fashionista than a true NYC-Paris-Milan die hard."

Paige raised an eyebrow. Alex's tone had been rather harsh in regards to the woman she was sure Alex had came here with. "Aryn. Isn't that your girlfriend?"

Alex shrugged. "Sorta. Not really. We've had this casual thing going on for the last few months, but it's nothing serious. She's really cute, but a bit of a fame groupie. And I think she's under the impression that me bringing her here makes us exclusive and official, which I'm totally not interested in at the moment."

Paige's gut twitched oddly. She didn't know what it was. "Better be careful," She advised. "I know from experience how messy the whole cas thing can get."

"Yeah, I remember," Alex said softly, flicking away her dead cigarette butt and pulling out a new one. She motioned to Paige's, which the blond had unknowingly let simmer out. "Need a light?"

Paige nodded, and Alex crouched closer so the flame from her silver zippo could dance before the blackened tip of the blonds' cigarette.

She didn't know how long they lingered in the alley, talking and smoking cigarette after cigarette. Chatting about anything and everything. Paige told Alex all about Tomas, her job, her family, Marco, old friends and new friends. Alex didn't say much about Scarlett Haze's upcoming tour, or about the recording business, but she did talk about her band mates and how being a musician was the one thing she was born to do and do well.

"I'm so sick of everyone asking me about it. Everyday I have to deal with people prying in my personal life, which is so unrelated to my music." Alex admitted gruffly at one point. "It's why I came out here to hide. I'm not even sure why I came to this stupid thing. It's all ridiculous, how everyone pretends that they're happy to see the people that they probably hated in high school. So fake." Paige nodded, agreeing with her. She didn't mention Alex's fame (which was something her mind would automatically change it to infamy) again as they continued rambling on.

Paige was eerily aware of how easygoing they could still be together. It had been almost _ten years_, give or take the short cameos they'd had in each others lives. And their last encounters had been awkward and automatic, friendly only in a technical sense. Hazel, along with others whom she had been close with, should have been the ones Paige spent hours conversing with. But they weren't. No, in fact, seeing her once best friend and every other person (minus Marco and Ellie) she'd spent her high school career with had been less than enjoyable. Everything Paige said became stuffy and rehearsed after repeating it to dozens of people, who always seemed to ask about the messy, uncomfortable things.

Alex was different though. Paige wasn't sure if it was because of their history or just because that's who the dark haired woman was, but she was the only person at the reunion who could still gauge her perfectly after all their time apart. She was able to make Paige laugh like she had in the old days, with her absolutely ridiculous tales that she'd accumulated while touring.

It disturbed Paige a bit. _Things shouldn't be so seamless_, the blond noted. _There should be awkward silences and gaps in conversation. _But there wasn't. It was almost unnatural, how easy things were. _Like the old days..._

Paige was on probably her fourth cigarette when this last thought crossed her mind_. _It made her feel...itchy. She looked at her watch and stood up hastily.

"Crap, it's almost five. I've been out here for over an hour. Tomas must think I've fallen off the face of the earth." Paige said, her voice slightly raised in worry. Alex glanced at her own watch and shrugged.

"I think we're just late for that banquet thing," spoke Alex. "No big deal. Although who knows what kind of shit Aryn is getting herself into with my absence. Not the brightest, that girl."

"Yeah, well, Tomas _is_ bright, and I know he's going to be pissed that I abandoned him at my own high school reunion, surrounded almost entirely by strangers." Paige turned away and yanked on the steel door handle. It barely budged, and she cursed with frustration.

"God, you're such a weakling." Alex chuckled, nudging Paige aside to tug the door open herself. Paige glared at her, and attempted to shove past Alex to get inside.

Alex put up a hand, stopping her. "Maybe you should let me go first. If people see we've been out here together, they might think we've been making out the whole time." She winked, pocketing her lighter for a final time and stepping back into the school. "You know how people at Degrassi love their gossip."

Paige stared after Alex, who walked inside and away without another glance. She wasn't surprised by the raven haired woman's words, not very much at least. But it was the way she said it, and the wink...what the hell was with that wink?! She shook her head and sighed. Goddamn that woman's sarcasm. Alex seemed to have really not changed.


End file.
